Honda Roots: a motoring community created for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts

When he
bought an original 1974 Civic on eBay for just £90, Jay Spendlove had only a passing
interest in Honda. But by the time he’d sourced,
bought and fitted all of the rare parts he needed to restore the Civic back to
factory spec, he was head over heels. Today, he’s admin of Honda Roots, a massively popular network of
fans carrying the torch for vintage Hondas. Here we talk to Jay about his love
affair with Honda, from restoring – and racing – old-school
classics, to spreading the love of Honda heritage all over the world.

The
roots of heritage

A die-hard Honda
fan, Jay’s no stranger to the car club scene – but Honda Roots holds a
special place in his heart. “I’ve been in many car clubs over the years, and
some can feel regimented and stuffy,” he says. “But most of the Honda Roots
meets are suggested by anyone and everyone, and some have been very spontaneous
– I would rather it be like that. I would never consider myself to be in charge.”

Yet, to a certain extent, he is. Jay was asked to join Honda Roots as an admin and
contributor in 2016, and in the months following, the group grew from strength
to strength. Starting out in 2012 as a Facebook page to connect vintage-Honda
enthusiasts, the community has grown to almost 200,000 worldwide. They’re a regular fixture at some of the UK’s
biggest motor shows, including the Japshow Finale, the Really Retro Show, and Mimms Honda Day, where we recently bumped into Jay – and his
pride and joy – ourselves. (Click here to see the full video.) Then there was Honda Roots’
most recent get-together: an Oulton Park track day with five first-gen Civics racing
side-by-side. Now that’s
something you don’t see every day.

Passion projects

Though the
group consists mainly of car nuts, Jay’s relationship with Honda began as a two-wheeled
affair. He passed his test at the age of 17 on a Honda CG125, then bought a CB125T,
followed by a CB400n and, most recently, a CBX550. Even as a teenager, Jay recognised that Honda motorcycles were something
special. “I could tell a lot had gone into the rider experience. Plus, the
engines where absolutely bulletproof.”

Bikes piqued his interest, but the “four-wheeled
marque projects” awakened an obsession. His first proper project was a banged-up
1974 Civic he picked up on eBay for 90 quid. The plan: restore it to working – and
even racing – condition, using only original components.

“It really was a global effort,” says Jay. “The members at 1stgencivic.com were a
big help with parts, and it was actually a Finnish member, Jukka Kettunen, who
sourced replacement panels for the rear arches.” The Honda first-timer mucked
in with fellow Civic fans, and by the time a Florida member had donated a replacement
camshaft and rocker arms, he was in love.

But the ’74 Civic was just the beginning. To date,
Jay has also worked on restoration jobs for a ‘75 Civic, a ‘79 Civic, a ‘77 Honda
TN360 (TN7) pickup truck, a ‘81 Prelude, a 2014 CR-V and, most recently, a
2015 CR-V. His dream
project: restoring an ultra-rare 1300 Coupe 9.

“It’s
such an unusual vehicle from an engineering standpoint,” says Jay. While the
world was moving away from air-cooled passenger car engines, Soichiro Honda was
convinced that, by solving the issues associated air-cooled engines through
advanced engineering, he could produce a car that was as powerful as a
contemporary water-cooled car. Production was constantly delayed due
to developments on the production line, and very few were built as a
result. “It’s one of the rarest cars Honda has ever produced,” says Jay. “And I
think it’s an absolutely beautiful car.” Hear, hear.

Honda
heroes

But as the old saying goes, it’s the journey, not
the destination, that matters. Although he holds Honda responsible for
introducing him to his greatest passion, it’s the friendships he’s made along
the way that he’ll treasure forever.

Shortly after starting
work on his ‘74 Civic, Jay tracked down the founder of the Old Civic Club of
Japan, Tomio Chiba. Chiba – a retired Honda engineer who worked for the company
all over the world, including at the Honda UK plant in Swindon – signed Jay’s
car in 2010 with the following message: ‘as approved by Honda.’

“I’ve since become
good friends with Tomio. Initially our contact was via email, where we would
share pictures of old Civic meets. I was in awe of the number of Civics in
Japan. He has visited me in the UK, and I’ve visited him in Japan. We even went
for a tour of the Honda
Collection Hall at Motegi.”

Then there’s Jay’s mate, and fellow Honda
collector, Chris Scott (pictured below) who recently showed off his amazing
Honda collection, just for The Engine Room. (Click here to
see it.)

Words
of wisdom

According to Jay, the trick to restoring any car is
to love the vehicle you’re working on – and there’s no car he loves more
than the original Civic. “I love its shape. I love the thought that has
gone into its engineering. Even by today’s standards, its 45-year-old design
looks modern, fresh and contemporary.”

Speaking of which, he’s a fan of the new one too. “The new Civic continues that same
ethos of innovative engineering and build quality. The thought that goes into
every single aspect of the new car – and every Honda product for the
matter – is remarkable.”

Click here if you
want to become a member of Honda Roots – and here if you
want to learn more about classic Civic restoration. But if you’re interested in
a more modern classic, then click here to register
your interest in the brand-new 10th generation Honda Civic Diesel, due
out in February.